


Try Something New

by nickelkeep



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Episode: s15e19 Inherit the Earth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29980551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickelkeep/pseuds/nickelkeep
Summary: Everyone who had been snapped by Chuck had been returned. Charlie. Stevie. Bobby. Donna. Jody. The girls. Every single one of them had been restored by Jack. It didn’t make sense. Even Cas, who had been taken by the Empty, was returned sans grace by Jack.So where was she?
Relationships: Eileen Leahy/Gabriel, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Gabriel/Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	Try Something New

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AugustStories](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AugustStories/gifts).



> This was written for FicWip's Holiday Exchange. I received the lovely AugustStories as my giftee, and as a fellow Saileen and Sabriel shipper, I decided to fix the ending. Let Sam be happy!  
> ...  
> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://nickelkeep.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/nickelwrites).

Sam sat at the War Table. His laptop was open, and the software that Charlie had made so long ago was scanning newspapers across the country. While it was scrolling dutifully, it was the last thing on his mind. Sam’s attention was focused on the small cell phone in his hand. Every time the screen went black, he would hit the button to wake it back up. His own face would look back at him, smiling.

Even after everything Chuck had dragged them through, Eileen had kept Sam’s picture as her phone’s lock screen. Sam shivered involuntarily as he thought of Eileen. 

Everyone who had been snapped by Chuck had been returned. Charlie. Stevie. Bobby. Donna. Jody. The girls. Every single one of them had been restored by Jack. It didn’t make sense. Even Cas, who had been taken by the Empty, was returned sans grace by Jack.

So where was she?

It wasn’t like Sam didn’t pray to Jack. He did, once a day. The kid might be the new God, but he was still his, Dean’s, and Cas’ son first. And every time he prayed, Sam asked for some sort of sign that Eileen was alive.

Sam set down Eileen’s phone and picked up his own. There were no new texts, no missed calls.

Fuck, he needed something to distract him from the growing chasm inside his chest. Time to take a page from Dean’s book of coping. A visit with the other Jack.

…

Several shots later, Sam groaned as his head hit the table beneath him. “Why did I think this would be a good idea?” A hand rested on his shoulder, and a cool wave of relief rushed through him.

“I’m not sure.” Sam turned his head to the side and looked up, his eyes finding the mischievous golden eyes of Gabriel smiling down at him. “You had a choice of two Jacks, and you chose the one that comes in a bottle.”

“Gabe? No. You’re in the fucking empty. I’m fucking hallucinating.” Sam rotated his head back so his forehead rested on the chilled wood. He let out a sigh. “If I’m talking to a ghost, I might as well get it off my chest. Jack wasn’t answering.”

“I’m as real as they get, Sam.” For a hallucination, Gabriel was actually pretty solid. “As for Jack, I’m not surprised. The kid’s following in Pop’s footsteps. A hands-off approach.” The inflection in Gabriel’s voice betrayed his annoyance. “So, you pray to Jack, you tell him about your day.”

“I ask about Eileen! I ask him every day for some sort of sign she’s alive.” Sam scoffed as he sat up. “I don’t get anything from him. There’s no response.”

Gabriel’s smile broadened across his face as he laughed. “I’m sorry, Sam. I know it’s not funny. You’re clearly missing her. But, as the last remaining Archangel, I thought you were getting my sign.” He handed Sam Eileen’s phone. “Have you needed to charge it? Has it died once since you started asking if she’s okay?”

“What?” Sam took the phone hesitantly. He pressed the button to wake it up and promptly looked at the battery. _100% Charge._ “You kept her phone charged to show me that she’s alive?”

“This is me. I thought it was clever. You’re always looking at it, flipping through the pictures Eileen keeps on it. Re-reading your messages with her.” Gabriel walked around the table and sat down across from Sam. “I figured that as long as it was alive, one, you’d be able to smile on your memories with Eileen, and two, you would know that she’s alive.”

“Gabe, I didn’t notice until just now.” Sam ran his fingers through his hair before setting her phone down. “I mean, I should have. But it’s been the last thing on my mind.” He rubbed his face before resting his head in his palms. “So wait. You’re alive, and she’s alive?”

“Very much so,” Gabriel replied. “I’m sorry my message wasn’t clear.”

Sam jumped up at the confirmation. “Gabe, she’s alive?!”

“Yeah, I think we need to get your hearing checked as I already confirmed it, Sam.” Gabriel tilted his head, watching Sam’s reaction. “I thought you would be happy to know that I’ve been keeping an eye on her when Jack restored everyone. He was a little focused on reviving Cas to focus on the people he UnThanosed.”

“Why isn’t she here? Where is she? Is she hurt or stuck? Do I need to go get her?”

Gabriel did his best to appear innocent. “She wanted to learn to believe again.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Over the months, you all did something unthinkable—you, Dean, Cas, Rowena, Eileen, even Jack. You guys saved the world. There were sacrifices. You lost loved ones.” Gabriel reached across the table and picked up Eileen’s phone. “And even though you succeeded in the end, it was still with great sacrifice. Dean lost Cas. You lost Eileen. The Winchester found family was dust in the wind.

“Once you guys defeated Chuck, and Jack took his power and absorbed Amara, he tried to reset the world as best as a three-year-old could. He brought back everyone. He returned your loved ones.” Gabriel gestured to himself as he looked up at Sam. “When Jack restored Eileen, I made sure I was there. I didn’t want her to forget what happened, so I was there.”

Sam sat back down slowly. “She wouldn’t have remembered Chuck erasing her?”

“Jack brought everyone back, and despite what you may think of me, I wanted to make it as minimally traumatic as possible. So when everyone returned, I erased the memory of them not feeling so well. For the majority of the world, it was like no time passed at all.” Gabriel twirled a finger, and a sucker manifested. He unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth.

“I can understand that. But what does that have to do with Eileen?”

“She remembers everything. Eileen remembers you bringing her back to life, how it was Chuck’s manipulation. She remembers your proclamation of love before she left the bunker to find herself.” Gabriel looked around the library before leaning forward like he had a secret. “Eileen thinks that she let you down.”

“What? No!” Sam shook his head. “What happened was out of her control. Chuck did manipulate her, but her feelings, our feelings? Those were real. They belonged to us!”

Gabriel nodded. “I am well aware. However, Chuck also knew this and lied to make you believe that they weren’t.”

“I thought we had moved past that.” Sam hung his hand between his heads.

“Well, being erased, then brought back by Jack, being welcomed back to life by me, it kinda threw her faith again.” Sam’s jaw dropped, and his mouth gaped open, causing Gabriel to quickly explain. “She wants to know she’s going to stay on Earth this time. Eileen doesn’t want to go back to hell or go to heaven yet. She thought I was there to take her up to the pearly gates.” Gabriel pointed his lollipop at Sam.” She doesn’t want to be nothing or forgotten. She doesn’t want to just be. Eileen wants to know her place in this world.”

“That’s all fair and good, Gabe, but I’ve been worried sick, no way to find her.” Sam looked at the Archangel sitting across from him. “Does she not want to be with me?”

“She thinks that you may not want to be with her.” Gabriel kicked his feet up on the table and leaned back in his seat. “Something about Sam’s angel is back to watch over him.”

Sam nodded. Then realized what Gabriel said. “Wait, what?”

“When she realized I was alive, since you know, I’m the one who went to her, she thought it was me staking my claim on you.” Gabriel held his hands up when Sam scowled. “I didn’t. I actually told her otherwise. That you mourned me and moved on.”

“That’s not entirely true.” Sam blushed. “Eileen knows how much I love you, Gabe. She and I have a different love from what you and I had. Have. I don’t even know right now.” He shook his head. “I need to find her, Gabe. If I had known she was actively hiding from me…”

“You’d what? Try and find her? Eileen’s one of the best hunters out there. She’d outrun you every time.” Gabriel pulled his sucker out of his mouth again and stared at it for a moment. “Ever think that I may have made myself known to you right now because maybe now she’s ready?”

“Is this one of your tricks, Gabe?”

Gabriel at least pretended to be offended. “Me, pull a trick in regards to something this serious?” When Sam’s face twisted into trademarked bitchface number 135, Gabriel shook his head and laughed. “Sam, I’m serious when it comes to this.”

“So what makes you think she wants to see me now?”

“I’ve been with her this entire time, Sam.” Gabriel paused to let that register. “We’ve spent the past couple of months getting to know each other. I certainly wasn’t joking when she said that she wanted to know her place in this world.”

“Where is she?”

Gabriel closed his eyes, and a moment later, Eileen walked into the Library. “Hi, Sam.” She looked nervous, almost afraid, and Sam hated it. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Sam signed as he asked his question.

“I assume Gabe told you already? About wanting to find me again?” Eileen waited for Sam to nod before continuing. “I’m sorry it took me so long to realize that while everything may have been a part of Chuck’s story, that it didn’t negate what I felt for you. Or what you feel for me. I know that we had started working on it, but when Gabe found me, everything I had started to build came falling down like a house of cards.”

Sam shot another bitchface – number thirty-seven - at Gabriel, who held up his hands in defense again. Sam deflated and looked at Eileen. “I would have been happy to talk to you.” He looked at Gabriel, continuing his signing for Eileen. “Both of you.”

“I know, Sam. Gabe knows too. But the truth be told, I really did need to figure out what my role in life, especially now that Chuck is gone, and Jack is in charge.” Eileen looked at Gabe and smiled. “I’m still my own woman, I can still kick any monster’s ass, I’m still independent. But I have two very dedicated people who love me.”

“Two?” Sam followed Eileen’s gaze to Gabriel. “Gabe?”

Gabriel shrugged. “What can I say? I see why she means the world to you.” He offered a hand to both Sam and Eileen. “I don’t see a reason why this can’t work, Sam. You and ‘Leen have your relationship. ‘Leen and I have ours, And then we have ours. Three separate relationships between three people who care deeply about each other.”

“You make it sound easy.” He looked back to Eileen and repeated his statement in sign for her. “What do you think, Eileen?”

“I think nothing in life is easy. Especially the things you want. You work for what you want.” She looked at Gabriel and smiled before looking back at Sam. “It might not be easy, but it’s something we deserve. Happiness.”

Sam worried his bottom lip as the words of both his lover and former lover embedded themselves in his brain and heart. He could have both. They had gone searching for answers together, and both agreed on one thing.

Him.

“This is new territory for me”— Sam held up a finger when Gabriel tried to interject. —“for all of us. But if you both are willing, then I’m willing.” He looked over at Eileen. “But we need to be open with each other.” He turned to Gabe. “And we need to be honest with each other.”

Gabriel wrapped his arm around Sam’s waist at the same time he pulled Eileen in for a hug. “We get it, Sam.” He kissed the top of Eileen’s head before standing on tiptoe to kiss Sam. “And you got us.”

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is not a Destiel fic, but most days you can find me hanging out here: Are you over the age of 18? Looking for a cool group of people to hang out with? Come join the writers, artists, and other amazing Destiel fans on the [Profound Bond Discord Server](https://discord.gg/profoundbond).
> 
> You can also get more info about #ficwip on their Twitter [here.](https://twitter.com/ficwip)


End file.
